Mariana Gomes Dias and Francisco Freire

Continuing Mariana Gomes Dias's collaboration with Companhia de Dança de Almada, we are currently logistically supporting her new project of choreographic creation and intervention in the community, as part of our project to support emerging choreographers.

E DEPOIS ERAM DOIS (and then there were two) is a multidisciplinary creative project directed by Mariana Gomes Dias and Francisco Freire, which will result in a performance that explores Intimacy, and reflects on issues associated with it, such as: the relationship of the SELF with body and mind, the relationship between the I and the OTHER, the I with THEM, and the US, and the influence that the environment has on these relationships.

We start from a premise: The essence of the human being is the search to connect with others. In fact, Plato in his book, the Symposium, suggests, through Aristophanes, that humans, who were initially rounded beings, with two faces, four feet, and four arms, are now incomplete beings, divided in half for punishment, and condemned to live in search of connections.

Well, this piece, which is presented as a duet, reflects the journey of two “strangers” (the two performers) who find themselves in the same place, at the same time, and all the steps that lead them to create a genuine and sincere connection. The public is then invited to follow this journey, initially as an external observer, a mere spectator, a position that will, however, be gradually challenged, as the “fourth wall” becomes increasingly diluted.

However, we do not want this piece to be just a portrait of the connection created between these two characters, but rather a portrait of the various relationships resulting from living in community. To achieve this, a File of Demonstrations of Affection/Intimacy will be created, which will be worked on in order to contribute to the piece.

In a project that focuses on creating connections and in the human need to develop them, we believe that it makes perfect sense to create an extension and/or subproject, in order to promote relationships between people, and at the same time bring the community closer to artistic creation.

E DEPOIS ÉRAMOS NÓS (and then there were us), consists of a workshop (to be held in the localities of the performances, but not exclusively), for professionals and non-professionals. In this workshop we will share the practices and experiences that we highlight from our creative process, and understand how the level of familiarity between the group influences the result of the improvisation/composition proposals or scores that we will propose. Furthermore, we want to create a space for debate/discussion, in order to enhance self-knowledge, tolerance, empathy and understanding.